Colorado Limb Donning-Timed Up and Go (COLD-TUG) Test in Lower-Extremity Amputation: Less Donning Time with...

Area of Science:

• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Bone-anchored limb (BAL) prostheses offer direct skeletal integration for improved prosthesis attachment.
• Traditional Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests assess mobility but exclude prosthetic limb donning time.
• Assessing functional mobility in lower-extremity amputees requires incorporating donning time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Colorado Limb Donning-Timed Up and Go (COLD-TUG) test.
• To assess the reliability and validity of the COLD-TUG test in amputees.
• To compare the COLD-TUG test performance between BAL and socket prosthesis users.

Main Methods:

• Participants with unilateral lower-extremity amputation were divided into socket prosthesis (n=15) and BAL (n=22) groups.
• The COLD-TUG test measured time for donning, standing, walking 3m, turning, returning, and sitting.
• Intrarater reliability and concurrent validity with the TUG test were analyzed.

Main Results:

• The COLD-TUG test demonstrated excellent intrarater reliability (ICC=0.94).
• Concurrent validity with the TUG test was good in BAL patients (r=0.712).
• BAL users had significantly shorter COLD-TUG times (16.6s) than socket users (85.3s).

Conclusions:

• The COLD-TUG test accurately quantifies prosthesis donning burden and functional mobility.
• BAL use is associated with reduced prosthesis donning time compared to socket prostheses.
• This test provides valuable insights into functional capacity and quality of life for amputees.